Cue the telenovela intro-music because this episode is drunk on theatrics and feeling bold.
Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Episode 2, “Do You Know What It Means to Be Loved By Death,” introduces us to the Theatre des Vampires with an episode starved of attention and craving carnage. It is a performance of gory satire and glutenous gossiping that feels right for the theatre troop’s tormented artist lifestyle.
This newest crop of immortals is outrageous, echoing what made Lestat such a valiant scene chewer back in New Orleans.
The series dampens what should be likeable enthusiasm with an unnerving intensity that leaves us uncomfortable with Armand sitting so close to Louis by the end of the hour. Because under the showmanship and the adorable romantic antidotes is a coven hiding more than their distaste for Americans.
The episode strikes a fine line between humble noir and smirking spectacle. The series blows past those subtle soap opera elements to embrace its cheeky daytime tendencies outright.
However, Interview with the Vampire is careful not to lift the Iron Curtain back enough to fully disperse the stench of gothic superiority that clings to the shadows of this show’s grand sets and academy acting chops.
Anne Rice’s vampires live absurd lives, but they do so with class and a complete aversion to humour.
There’s so much about the over-the-top narcissism of this episode that is giggle-inducing.
First, the decision to have these vampires spend their first big night on the town terrorizing a fancy French villa and pulling up in a gang of motorcycle cars — perfection. Absolutely no notes.
Louis and Armand entering a romantic parlay in the foreground while the background is a bloodbath of screaming and beheadings could not be a better use of a theatre troop coven. The scene does an incredible job of establishing the weight and honesty of Louis’ feelings for Armand in the present day while giving us a dose of comedically delivered gore.
Not to mention, Claudia is a character that thrives in carnage, and this is the first time we get to see Delainey Hayles really let loose and play with her food.
And don’t get me started on the interview, the cattiest and outrageous element of this charade. “You both fucked Lestat!” is forever iconic now and should be the clip they use when this show wins an Emmy.
As far as I’m concerned, the masterpiece of this outing doesn’t happen on stage. It happens back in Dubai with Daniel Molloy.
You would think Armand going on the record to gang up on him would give old Danny Boy a moment of valuable reflection in a room of volatile bloodsuckers. If anything, it gives him the green light to lay into the two love-sick vampires with unnecessary (yet hilarious) cruelty. If there’s a knife, he finds a way to twist it in just a little further every time.
The interview slips into something akin to a Comedy Central roast when Daniel learns Armand and Louis both fucked Lestat before they met each other. It’s juicy gossip, and Interview with the Vampire doesn’t just let these absurd statements go peacefully into the night. Daniel sees an opportunity to go for the jugular repeatedly, finding great delight that this groundbreaking tale of vampirism is no better than a poorly written telenovela.
He takes joy in mocking Louis and his life choices but forgets his place, mistaking his control of the interview for power. Armand seizes this opportunity to break him and derail this interview for good. Instead, he accidently opens a can of worms as Daniel experiences some fuzzy flashbacks not unlike the ones Louis has been experiencing.
This is where the interview goes from being a tool of Season 1’s success to being the centrepiece of Season 2. Eric Bogosian establishes himself as the episode’s MVP as he strips the cruel comedian of his defences. But the gutwrenching sadness wafting from him is a small price to pay for gossip this good.
Because the flashbacks of Armand belittling a younger Daniel, his confidence when speaking of Alice’s intentions (a woman he’s never met), and the unnecessary flirtations all suggest Armand fucking Lestat will be old news in no time. It also gives us enough of a tease to get the cogs of conspiracy turning.
Is Armand actually Alice? Is Armand giving Louis the illusion of a choice with this interview? And is the theatrical vampire the one behind this bizarre epidemic of memory loss? Oh yeah, these are the kinds of theories that get a fan base excited.
It’s safe to say that the best storytelling this season has in its arsenal cannot be found on the stage.
Nonetheless, the show must go on, and the episode uses animated projections to reimagine the stuffy, pretentious performances of the Theatre des Vampires from the source material. It’s all rather silly, if I’m being honest, but slightly more entertaining than vampiric Shakespeare in the Park.
Ultimately, Theatre des Vampires shines in Santiago’s gripping monologue. Ben Daniels is at home on the stage. He introduces the world of Paris vampires in a tone lovably akin to Rocky Horror Picture Show’s unnerving energy. He mesmerizes the audience with cheap illusions and very real threats as he sets the stage for that chilling final act.
It is a highlight of the episode, as Santigo manages to convey layers of foreboding that beautifully set up the interview’s more explosive confrontations.
Another highlight is the sets. The theatre of the Theatre des Vampires is a masterpiece; its dingy warehouse ascetic transforms into a playhouse fit for the undead with thick, dusty curtains and an ominous balcony overlooking the audience. A bird’s eye view that allows the vampires to stalk their prey from the shadows of the show.
However, the Theatre des Vampires is kind of a lot — plot-wise.
The season started with a slow burn in Paris, so following that with a very plot-heavy episode can be harsh on any show’s pacing. This second outing has to do quite a lot of the season’s heavy lifting in terms of setting up this new coven of characters and Louis and Armand’s relationship—among other secrets festering in the background of these discussions.
It can sometimes be overwhelming and tedious to digest this much world-building when we are used to Interview with the Vampire withholding plot.
These theatrical vamps think nothing of throwing back the curtains on themselves, but that doesn’t change the fact that this show works best when it keeps the curtains closed. It is rather good at coasting on glimpses.
At the end of the day, Interview with the Vampire knows the worst threat to humanity is theatre kids, and Louis had better watch out because his boyfriend is the worst one of them all.
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